Jobs, jobs, jobs

The Elmbridge CAN Employment Support Group organised two very successful Employment Workshops during July for people with refugee backgrounds. One took place in Claygate, and the other in Weybridge.

We were especially delighted by the turn-out and enthusiasm from our new arrivals. In all, fifteen participants attended the Claygate workshop and thirty-three attended the Weybridge workshop.  Both events included advice on: how to search for a job in the UK, how to produce a good CV, how to contact employers, how to apply for jobs and interview skills practice. A presentation was followed by break-out groups where the participants could ask their own questions and practise their skills. We were extremely grateful to Alyona and Iryna, our Ukrainian interpreters who did an amazing job throughout. Our thanks also go to Julie from the Department of Work and Pensions who gave invaluable advice about Universal Credit and child care costs amongst other things. 

The highlight for many was the informal networking lunch with a number of local employers, wanting to fill their vacancies. From supermarkets to coffee shops, from hotels to care providers, they all came looking for new staff members for their teams and they weren’t disappointed. Some of the participants were thrilled to go away with a trial shift and even a job in some cases. Others went away with their heads held just a little higher, because they felt more confident than before. One woman who had previously worked in a patisserie in Ukraine brought along some amazing cakes to share and the employers were suitably impressed!

Finally, we would like to pay tribute to the real heroes of the hour, our local community of Ukrainian women, we salute you for your courage and determination, you are indeed an inspiration to us all and we are so proud of you.
The E.CAN Employment Support Group has already started planning their next event – a careers fair in September in conjunction with The National Careers Service. Watch this space for more details!